{
 "categories": [
  "developer-tools",
  "database"
 ],
 "deployment": "hybrid",
 "evidence": [
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "homepage",
   "note": "Microsoft Learn presents Data API builder as the product that generates REST and GraphQL endpoints and includes an MCP server for agent integration.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "license",
   "note": "Microsoft states Data API builder is open source under the MIT license, free to use, with no premium tier. The repository is azure/data-api-builder.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "modalities.api.exists",
   "note": "DAB provides a RESTful web API for configured tables, views, and stored procedures at /api/{entity}.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/rest/overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "modalities.api.kinds[0]",
   "note": "REST endpoints use HTTP GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE and return JSON.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/rest/overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "modalities.api.kinds[1]",
   "note": "DAB hosts a GraphQL endpoint at /graphql. Requests are POST with a JSON query body.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/graphql/overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "modalities.api.auth[0]",
   "note": "The Custom provider authenticates callers with third-party OpenID Connect or JWT tokens.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/authenticate-overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "modalities.api.auth[1]",
   "note": "The EntraID/AzureAD provider authenticates Microsoft Entra ID production apps.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/security/authenticate-overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "modalities.api.coverage",
   "note": "REST and GraphQL expose the entities defined in the JSON config, with CRUD, filtering, sorting, pagination, stored procedures, and relationships. Coverage is the configured entity set, not every database object.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "modalities.mcp.first_party",
   "note": "Microsoft documents SQL MCP Server as part of Data API builder starting in version 1.7, with streamable HTTP and stdio transports.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/mcp/overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "modalities.cli.exists",
   "note": "Microsoft documents the official dab CLI, installed as the .NET global tool Microsoft.DataApiBuilder.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/install",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.export[0]",
   "note": "REST responses are JSON objects with a value array and optional nextLink.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/rest/overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.import[0]",
   "note": "POST, PUT, and PATCH accept JSON request bodies to create or update records.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/rest/overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "verdict.scores.api",
   "note": "Generated REST and GraphQL are documented, read/write for configured entities, and paired with JWT and Entra ID auth plus OpenAPI. Coverage is the config contract, so the path is broad production rather than a 9-10 substitute for every database engine feature.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/rest/overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "verdict.scores.mcp",
   "note": "SQL MCP Server is first-party and exposes seven DML tools with RBAC. It is not NL2SQL and not DDL, and it only sees configured entities. That is official useful coverage, not unusually complete SQL access.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/mcp/data-manipulation-language-tools",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "verdict.scores.cli",
   "note": "Official dab initializes config, adds entities, configures runtime and MCP, and starts the engine. It is the config/control plane, not the data-plane contract, so CLI is a maintained official path with useful coverage rather than the broader API.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/command-line/install",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[0].url",
   "note": "Opened Microsoft's current SQL MCP Server overview, including 1.7+/2.0, DML-not-NL2SQL, no DDL, HTTP and stdio transports, and dab start --mcp-stdio.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/mcp/overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[1].url",
   "note": "Opened and verified as the current DML tools page listing describe_entities, CRUD, execute_entity, and aggregate_records.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/mcp/data-manipulation-language-tools",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[2].url",
   "note": "Opened the Azure/data-api-builder repository. It is the vendor MIT-licensed source for REST, GraphQL, and MCP.",
   "source": "https://github.com/Azure/data-api-builder",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-09-03",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[3].url",
   "note": "Opened and verified as the current DAB product overview, including REST, GraphQL, MCP from 1.7, auth providers, and MIT licensing.",
   "source": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/overview",
   "tier": "declared"
  }
 ],
 "freshness": {
  "last_verified": "2026-09-03",
  "volatility": "high",
  "watch": [
   {
    "type": "mcp",
    "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/mcp/overview"
   },
   {
    "type": "mcp",
    "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/mcp/data-manipulation-language-tools"
   },
   {
    "type": "repo",
    "url": "https://github.com/Azure/data-api-builder"
   },
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/overview"
   }
  ]
 },
 "homepage": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/",
 "id": "data-api-builder",
 "license": "open-source",
 "modalities": {
  "agent_docs": {
   "llms_txt": "unknown"
  },
  "api": {
   "auth": [
    "jwt",
    "microsoft-entra-id"
   ],
   "coverage": "partial",
   "docs": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-api-builder/concept/rest/overview",
   "exists": true,
   "kinds": [
    "rest",
    "graphql"
   ]
  },
  "cli": {
   "exists": true
  },
  "computer_use": {
   "issues": [],
   "viability": "unknown"
  },
  "data_access": {
   "export": [
    "json"
   ],
   "import": [
    "json"
   ]
  },
  "extensibility": {
   "scripting": [],
   "webhooks": "unknown"
  },
  "integrations": {
   "make": "unknown",
   "n8n": "unknown",
   "power_automate": "unknown",
   "zapier": "unknown"
  },
  "mcp": {
   "first_party": true,
   "third_party": [],
   "verdict": "official"
  },
  "rpa": {
   "drivability": "unknown",
   "notes": "No repeatable UI probe was run. Data API builder's generated REST and GraphQL endpoints, official dab CLI, and first-party SQL MCP Server cover practical entity automation without browser control.\n",
   "ui_stack": [
    "web-dom"
   ],
   "vendor_support": []
  },
  "sdk": {
   "exists": "unknown",
   "languages": [],
   "official": "unknown"
  }
 },
 "name": "Data API builder",
 "platforms": [
  "linux",
  "macos",
  "windows"
 ],
 "related": {
  "alternatives": [
   "neon",
   "mongodb"
  ],
  "our_products": []
 },
 "schema_version": 1,
 "score_version": 1,
 "status": "active",
 "vendor": "Microsoft",
 "verdict": {
  "best_path": "api",
  "scores": {
   "api": 8,
   "cli": 7,
   "computer_use": null,
   "integrations": null,
   "mcp": 7,
   "overall": 8,
   "rpa": null
  },
  "summary": "Microsoft Data API builder (DAB) is automatable today through generated REST and GraphQL APIs. This record is DAB, an open-source MIT engine that exposes configured database entities. It is not the SQL Server engine, Azure SQL as a standalone database identity, or an NL2SQL product. REST lives at /api/{entity} with GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE plus OData-style $filter, $select, $orderby, $first, and $after. GraphQL lives at /graphql with matching queries and mutations. Authentication providers documented by Microsoft include Unauthenticated, Microsoft Entra ID, Custom JWT, App Service EasyAuth, Simulator, and On-Behalf-Of. Coverage is the entities in dab-config.json, not the whole database schema. SQL MCP Server ships in DAB 1.7 and later; Microsoft recommends the latest 2.0 release, which is generally available. Tools are DML only: describe_entities, create_record, read_records, update_record, delete_record, execute_entity, and aggregate_records (2.0+). DAB does not support NL2SQL and does not expose DDL. Stored procedures can be registered as named custom MCP tools in 2.0. Transports are streamable HTTP at /mcp and stdio via dab start --mcp-stdio. The official CLI is dab (NuGet Microsoft.DataApiBuilder) for init, add, configure, and start. DAB runs in any cloud or on-premises against SQL Server, Azure SQL, Azure Cosmos DB, PostgreSQL, and MySQL. iPaaS connectors were not opened. Computer-use viability is unassessed. API scores 8 and is the best path. MCP scores 7 because coverage is official and useful but limited to configured entities and DML.\n"
 }
}